CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 243, 13 October 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The Council met last evening. Present, all the members. The Mayor said tbat with regard to the, election of Town Clerk, for which purpose they had met that evening, he would ask the Councillors to set aside all feelings of private friendship, and to vote for the candidate whom they considered tbe most efficient, and upon whom tbey felt that they could most thoroughly rely. Applications and the accompanying testimonials were then read from the following candidates: — Messrs E. Kershaw, Henry Halcorabe, H. Best, J. Wigzell, G. Donne, G. Green, J. Percy, G. Collins, H. N. Firth, W. Elton, j. A- Harley, R. Malcolm, W. J. Kennedy (Wellington), and J. B Sadd. It was decided that the mode of procedure should be as follows : — First, that each Councillor should send in to the Mayor a list, bearing his signature, : of nine out of the fourteen candidates ; next, that out of the nine who had the majority, five should be nominated in a similar manner, then tbat three of the five should be named; after that, that the three should be reduced to two; and finally that one of the two should be elected. The result of the first operation waa as follows: — Wigzell 9, Harley 9, Firth 8, Sadd 7, Percy 7, Elton 7, Collins 7, Malcolm 6, Green 5, Donne 4, Kennedy 4, Best 1 4, Kershaw 3, Halcombe 1. Of the nine first named four were now to be struck out, and the result was declared to be:— Wigzell 9, Harley 9; Firth 8, Sadd 6, Percy 5, Malcolm 3> Collinß2, Green 2, Elton 1. On the five being reduced to three, the papers showed the following: — •Wigzell 7, Harley 6, Firth 6, Percy 4, Sadd 4. Of the three who bad the majority one was now to be omitted, and the votes were recorded thus:— -Wigzell 7, Harley 7, Firth 4, The contest was now confined to Wigzell and Harley, and the result was Q8 follows: — .. For Wigzell, 5 '.—Messrs Do-son, Burns, Hooper, Thompson, Burn. For Harley, 4 : — Messrs Stringer, Fell, Haddow, and Wright. Mr Wigzell was declared duly elected. y 7 The duties of the Town Clerk were defined as follows :— To collect the rates, make out the assessment yearly, keep the books of the Council, and do everything else connected with the business of the Council. On the motion of Mr Haddow, it. was resolved, " That the acting Town Clerk balance his books and prepare a balance sheet to be submitted to Mr Goulstone, in order that it may be audited." Some discussion took place with fegard to Mr Mirfin's dismissal, and it was resolved that the matter should stand over until Friday evening next, Jo, which date the Council then adjourned.